Previously, several devices and methods have been provided for hanging a towel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,144 issued on Jan. 21, 1986 to Ricci (“the 144 patent”) discloses a towel having a towel support provided therein. The towel support consists of an opening having a closed circumference with the opening being offset a distance from the edge of the towel. The circumference is referred to as “closed” herein in that the circumference is uninterrupted, with no break in it. The opening is also offset a distance from the edge of the towel such that towel material is provided between the towel edge and the slot end. As disclosed in the patent, this support is preferably a cut through the towel on the bias to the towel weave. This slot allows the towel to be suspended from a hook or nail without damaging the towel areas surrounding the slot.
Such a towel support can be used to suspend towels from hooks and nails; however, it is not suitable for use with the other household fixtures that are currently common in the art. In the present state of the art, most bathrooms are equipped with towel rods. The device of the '144 patent cannot be used to hang a towel from such rods.
As is well known, those towel rods are provided so that a consumer can fold a towel over the rod for easy access. Yet, at the same time, that method of draping towels also takes up an unduly large amount of space on a rod. It is also somewhat cumbersome or time consuming to fold the towel to place it on the rod, and furthermore, the folding of the towel over itself exposes less surface area of the towel to circulating air, thereby increasing the amount of time needed for the towel to dry.
Consumers also use other mounted bars to suspend towels therefrom. Such mounted bars include, but are not limited to, the rods on oven doors, the bars on refrigerators, and so forth. Thus, while the device of the '144 patent can be used with hooks and nails, it cannot be used with rods or the other numerous mounted bars currently common in the art. To use that device, the bars would have to be removed from their supports, which is impractical.
Unfortunately, the method of suspension most commonly used in the art, that of merely draping a towel over the rod, has other disadvantages as well. Any towel which is so draped is not particularly secure, but rather can fall off the rod onto the floor relatively easily. Since the purpose of the towel is for cleaning, that result is undesirable.
It is, therefore, an object of the present inventor to provide methods and devices which prevent towels from easily falling onto dirty floors.